The development of lessons, case studies, scenarios and simulations in the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment for self directed learning (SDL) By Michael O’Rourke Lecturer Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland in association with and funded by the National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL), UCC, Ireland EDEN Open Classroom Conference, October 27-29 th 2011
Transcript
The development of lessons, case studies, scenarios and simulations in the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment for
self directed learning (SDL)
By Michael O’Rourke
LecturerDepartment of Electronic & Computer Engineering
Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland
in association with and funded by the National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL), UCC, Ireland
EDEN Open Classroom Conference, October 27-29th 2011
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Project Objectives• Familiarisation with the settings and features
of the lesson activity in the Moodle VLE.• Exploration of the use of the lesson activity for
case studies, scenarios and simulations.• Lesson development techniques.• How lessons can be incorporated into a
module for self directed learning (SDL).• Exploration of the use of open educational
resources (OER) within a Moodle lesson.• Learner feedback on the use of lessons.
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Main features of the Moodle lesson• An activity in the Moodle VLE.• Timed and scheduled like a quiz, if required.• Multiple pages which can contain various
multimedia elements like text, images, sound, video and web links.
• Each page can contain a question (True/False, Short Answer, Multiple Choice, Essay, Matching, Numerical).
• Sequence can be linear or branching.
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
• Questions can be imported in various formats from elsewhere.
• Presentations can be imported.• Can be used to create flashcard exercises for learners.• Lesson scores are incorporated into the Moodle grade
book, if appropriate.• Emphasis is on teaching and learning, not assessment
(use quiz tools for assessment).• It is a conditional activity i.e. a pathway can be
specified for learners who are taking a number of lessons as part of a module.
Main features of the Moodle lesson
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
• The learner is led through a troubleshooting or decision making scenario.
• Each page presents new information about the scenario.
• A question is asked on each page which may cause a branch or jump to another part of the lesson.
• Feedback is provided on each page.• May be scored and/or timed, if required.
• An online survey was conducted with learners to gather feedback on the use of Moodle lessons in their modules.
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Learner Survey Results
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Benefits for learners• It aids with SDL because it is interactive and the
score attained by the learner can be designed by the lecturer, to count towards the final assessment mark.
• Feedback is provided within the lesson, case study, scenario or simulation where appropriate, to give pointers to learners as they progress through it.
• The lesson, case study, scenario or simulation can be taken a number of times for knowledge and understanding reinforcement by the learner.
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
• The lesson, case study, scenario or simulation can be undertaken off-campus at any time as they are online.
• Lessons, case studies, scenarios or simulations can be provided in any discipline or subject (Engineering, Science, Business, Humanities) as the Moodle lesson is very flexible.
Benefits for learners
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Conclusions and findings• The lesson activity in Moodle is an excellent
activity for presenting material to learners because they are ‘led’ through it in a very structured and interactive manner.
• The lesson may be used to ‘package’ all types of OERs in all formats including audio, video, animations, text and images.
• Feedback may be provided at all points in the lesson.
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
• Decision making is easily incorporated into a lesson using ‘jumps’ within the lesson.
• Various question types are provided within the lesson including Multiple Choice, True/False, Short Answer, Numerical, Matching and Essay thus giving wide variety in assessment.
• Short lessons of 15 to 30 minutes duration seem to work best in order to keep learners engaged and avoid loss of concentration.
Conclusions and findings
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
• The planning and development time is considerable for a single lesson, particularly if it involves decision making.
• A flowchart is recommended for planning a decision making lesson.
• Some prior experience with Moodle is desirable as it takes time to become familiar with the technicalities of the lesson interface.
Conclusions and findings
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Conclusions and findings• The Moodle lesson activity provides a very
flexible method of creating SDL resources for teaching and learning.
• Some concerns over Moodle 2.0: will existing lessons be importable to Moodle 2.0?
Michael O’Rourke, AIT
Web information and resources• Athlone Institute of Technology: http://www.ait.ie/ • Learning & Teaching Unit, AIT• http://www.ait.ie/aboutaitandathlone/learningand
teaching/• National Academy for Integration of Research,
Teaching and Learning: http://www.nairtl.ie/• National Digital Learning Repository:
